


Dystopia

by A_Sirens_Lullaby



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Dark!Blue Beetle, Dystopia!AU, Gen, Not A Happy Ending, The Reach - Freeform, ignoring the timeline, throwing canon to the wind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-06-30
Packaged: 2018-02-06 19:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1870353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Sirens_Lullaby/pseuds/A_Sirens_Lullaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The life of a slave is the very definition of hell. So what if he was given the chance to escape it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dystopia

**Author's Note:**

> So I wasn't planning on posting this here but some encouragement from one of my favorite writers changed my mind so here we are! It was an assignment for school so I had to change/leave a few things out so I wouldn't get in trouble, but I'm generally happy with it! I hope you enjoy, and comments are always welcome!

       Bart can’t remember the last time he had ever seen a star. Then again, he questions if he had ever truly seen a star to begin with. He knows what they’re supposed to look like, how they used to light up the night sky like a million scattered diamonds, or of how you could spend a lifetime counting every single one you see and it wouldn’t even be a quarter of them.  That may have been the problem though: due to the heavily polluted skies, you only knew it was night when Reach enforcers came to herd the _meat_ back to their campgrounds. Cause that was all they were now, nothing more than meat bags who were only spared because the Reach saw potential for experimentation.  At least, that’s all they were ever since the Reach Apocalypse. It was their own fault really, or at least that’s what he thought based on the stories his grandma Iris used to tell him before she was killed. Earth lost faith in its heroes. Secrets and lies lead to mistrust and betrayal, and when the Reach arrived with apparent open honesty Earth welcomed them with open arms.  Everything after that was irrelevant. They were slaves now, and as long as they accepted that their chances of survival increased.  Not that it ever stopped them from being killed off anyway.  
      “Keep moving kid, we‘re almost there.”  
      Bart looked up, sparing a glance to the man whose voice had interrupted his thoughts. His back was turned to him as they trudged through the ash-thicken snow,  only stopping occasionally to cover their tracks. Bart scowled. “You act as if I’m the one whose been holding us back. Last time I checked it’s _me_ who’s trying to keep up to _your_ slow pace.” He crossed his arms. “Or did you forget just who you decided to rescue, _Neutron_?”  
      The man flinched, turning back to glare at the young teen as he stopped dead in his tracks. “Do _not_ call me that.”  
      Bart smirked. “Why not? Isn’t that what they used to call you? You know, all those people you ended up killing. Like my grandpa for instance.”  
      “Enough.”  
      “Not to mention the Reach had given you that name when they brought you into their ranks. You are, after all, one of the main reasons they were even able to take over.”  
      “I said enough!”  
      Bart shut up instantly. He watched as Neutron shifted slightly, eyeing him cautiously as to see if he would try anything funny. He was ready to run. The only reason he hadn’t yet was curiosity. He wanted to know just why this man had risked everything, or at least what was left of his dignity, to save him. That was the only thing keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground as Neutron regained control of his temper. Trust had _nothing_ to do with it.  
      “Sorry…” He heard the older man mumble as he looked down to his feet. “Just… _please_ don’t call me that. I’m not proud of what I did. Last thing I need is for the grandson of my biggest mistake rubbing salt on wounds that never fully healed.” With that he started walking again, leaving Bart slightly shocked as he watched the mans retreating form. Guilt nipped at his conscience, but as guarded as he’d become over the years, he refused to feel pity for a man who helped cause this.  
      “Then what exactly am I supposed to call you?”  
      Silence was the only reply he got, and for a moment Bart doubted he’d even get an answer at all, until he heard a soft sigh escape from the older man.  
      “Nathanial.”  
      Bart nodded slowly, despite knowing full and well that Nathanial wouldn’t see it, and decided that since he was tagging along with a man he trusted just about as far as he could throw him then he might as well know just _where_ they were headed to in the first place.   
      “So Nathanial,” He started out cautiously as he took to walking beside the man. “you still haven’t told me just where we were heading. Care to fix that?”  
      There was a slight pause from the older man, before another drawn out sigh escaped his lips and he turned to face him. “We’re headed to meet a couple of friends of mine.”  
      Bart bit back a quip as to how anyone would actually befriend the man who played a hand in their loss of freedom, instead slowly nodding before the two lapsed back into silence. Bart didn’t feel a need to start up a conversation again, instead biding his time irritably messing with the cold, metallic collar still attached to his neck. The inhibitor collars were probably his least favorite thing about being a slave. True to their name, the collars inhibited a persons greatest strengths to what would be considered just below average. For him, it prevented him from using his super speed. Everyone, or at least those who had survived the apocalypse, were forced to wear one, even those who didn’t exhibit any signs of pertaining special skills or powers. That was because blocking the use of powers wasn’t the only purpose of the inhibitor collars. The Reach had to control the populous somehow, had to prevent the possibility of an uprising against their order. What better way than to control them by the constant threat of death by electrocution looming over their heads. That was the other purpose of the collars. If you were too slow, or began to become too disobedient, than your punishment was electrocution. Bart had learned from personal experience just how painful having 10,000 volts of electricity shooting through you was. It was designed to kill, and if it weren’t for his unordinary abilities he would have been dead for sure, but most didn’t have that luxury. Bart can still smell the charred flesh of his grandmothers corpse after she was killed for attempting to hide a what the Reach called a “gifted” child.  
      Nathanial must have seen Bart twiddling with the metal death sentence, and placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder, snapping the young speedster out of his trance.  
      “Don’t worry.” He mumbled softly, offering an awkward smile to Bart as he led them down what appeared to an old docking bay for ships. “We’re here. You’ll have that collar off in no time.”  
      The two stopped in front of an abandoned warehouse, and if Bart had been expecting anything more spectacular and appealing, he didn’t show any sign of disappointment at what he was given. If anything, he just saw it as fitting. A slave only gets what he’s worth after all.  
      Nathanial walked up to what appeared to once be the entrance to the warehouse, pushing past the debris of surrounding buildings until he was near the metal contraption you could barely classify as a door. He knocked thee times on the center, and Bart looked on, waiting for whoever was inside to let them in. He had not been expecting to be staring down the barrel of a gun the moment he blinked his eyes.  
      “I’m guessing you’re the speedster Neut was talking about. Funny, I thought you’d be older.”  
      Hesitantly, Bart turned his gaze from the gun to the man pointing it at him. Hard, sea-green eyes were narrowed in on his own emerald ones, a scowl on the mans face as short strands of black hair draped lazily across his forehead. Bart suddenly realized just how small his 13-year-old frame compared to a man who looked to be in his mid 30’s. He gulped. Every instinct he had engraved into his mind screamed at him to run, to just start running and never turn back until he was safe from everyone, but he remained frozen.  
      “What’s the matter kid? Never seen a gun before?”  
      “Todd!!! That’s enough!”  
      Bart flinched at the sudden shout from where the entrance of the warehouse was, and slowly moved to look past “Todd” to see who had given the order. Standing next to Nathanial was a middle aged man with tan skin and short, black spiked hair. His crystal blue eyes were cold and calculating, currently glaring daggers at the man holding a gun to the speedsters face.  
      The man he deemed as “Todd” merely smirked, lowering the gun to his side before placing it in its holster. He turned back to the man at the entrance. “Well look who decided to grace us with his presence. I thought you said meeting this brat wasn’t worth your time Damian.”  
      Damian merely glared at the man before turning to Nathanial who had been watching the exchange with mild interest. “Is this him?”  
      Nathanial only nodded.  
      “Bring him inside. It’s time we show him just why he was freed from the campgrounds.” With that said, the man turned on his heel and walked back inside the warehouse, Nathanial following closely behind. “Todd” sneered at him, grabbing his arm roughly as he lead him to the entrance. Bart didn’t dare try to escape the mans vice grip, instead focusing on the interior of the warehouse. It was _much_ more impressive on the inside. Bart had never seen so much technology that wasn’t Reach designated in his life. Computer monitors lined the walls, each one either tracking Reach movements or hacking into their systems.  
      “Woah…”  
      “I take it you’re impressed?”  
      Bart looked up at the man who still had a grip on his arm, except now it seemed much softer, as if he didn’t believe he would make a run for it. “Uh, yeah… It’s Todd right?”  
      The man let out a bark of laughter. “In a way. Todd’s my last name. Bat-brat over there just refuses to acknowledge anyone of ‘lesser standards’ by their first name. Which means practically everyone.” He grinned, knowing full and well that Damian was listening in on their conversation, if the glare he sent over his shoulder to the older man was any consolation. “You can just call me Jason.”  
      Bart nodded, rubbing his arm as soon as Jason released his grip, before continuing to follow Damian and Nathanial until they stopped in the center of what appeared to be the main control room. Damian turned to face him.  
      “So I’m assuming you’re smart enough to have figured out just who we are Allen?”  
      Bart blinked, raising an eyebrow at the use of his last name before Jason just shook his head at him and smirked. Right… He was a person of ‘lesser standards’ compared to the ice-blue eyed man.  
      “Yeah, you’re that resistance group that’s been giving the Reach quite a few problems.”  
      Jason snorted as Damian glared at him, and he shrunk back slightly.  
      “An inadequate definition, but yes, I suppose coming from you it will suffice. We are what’s left of the last generation of heroes. Our goal is to cripple the Reaches hold on what’s left of humanity in order to allow Earths inhabitants their chance to reclaim their freedom.”  
      Bart nodded slowly, a small frown appearing on his face. “That still doesn’t explain why Nathanial here freed me from my campsite.”  
      “Because we need your help.” It was Jason who answered him this time. When Bart turned to him to elaborate he shrugged. “We heard rumors from some of our people who are in the campsites that you were a speedster, the last one if I’m not mistaken. With your cousin dead we needed a replacement with his skill set. You fit the qualifications perfectly, right down to your unmatched speed and intelligence when it comes to technology.”  
      Bart flinched at the mention of his deceased cousin, an action that did not go unnoticed by Jason, who looked away guiltily, mumbling a quick “sorry” under his breath. He shook his head. “Its fine. At least I now know what he meant when he said I would never be alone.”   
      Damian nodded at him. “We want you to join our ranks and assist in our main project that your cousin had originally designed.”  
      The young brunette nodded, giving a small smile to the others in the room. “Alright, I’ll do it. Anything to free the world from the Reach’s control.”  
      Damian smirked. “Good. Now, first things first.”   
      In retrospect, Bart really should have seen the kick coming. Next thing he knew he was laying flat on his back, gasping as he tried to obtain the air that had suddenly been knocked out of his lungs back. He sent a glare to the older man. “What was that for?” he screamed, wincing at the sudden pressure in his chest that the action brought.  
      Damian said nothing as he circled the young teen on the ground, a frown gracing his lips. “You should have easily been able to doge that, even with the inhibitor collar blocking the use of speed.” He stopped in front Bart, watching as he forced himself into a sitting position. “You’ll need to be trained. A lot. Todd,” Jason looked up to his younger brother as he helped Bart off the ground. “You’ll be in charge of his training. Make sure he’ll be able to fight with and without his speed. He can not afford to be vulnerable if an inhibitor collar is placed on him again.”  
      Jason smirked, nodding as he looked over at Bart who was still hunched over slightly, rubbing his now sore chest. “This should be fun.”  
      “Yeah…” Bart choked out breathlessly. “ _Lots_ of fun.”  
      Damian seemed satisfied enough with his sarcastic reply. “You’ll start in the morning then.” With that he walked up to him and placed a mall chip onto his collar. Bart faintly heard the small whizzing of the collars security protocols being activated, and he began to worry that in a moment he would either be electrocuted to death or blow to pieces. However, as soon as the noise started it stopped, and suddenly his neck was free from the last thing that marked him as a slave to the Reach. “You will no longer have any need of this. As of now you are a full fledged member of the resistance. Now get some rest. No matter how tired you are tomorrow, Todd will not go easy on you.”  
      For the first time in years, Bart smiled.  
  
      He wasn’t exactly sure what he had expected when he learned Jason would be in charge of his training, but he was pretty sure that dodging a barrage of bullets from various locations while having to overcome obstacles as he ran at his top speed through an iced over track had not even crossed his mind. He was fairly certain no sane person would ever had considered this “training.” The 1st week was horrible. He’s not sure just how many times he had lost his footing on the ice and ended up colliding with a wall or tripping over one of the various obstacles placed on the track. All he knows was that he couldn’t move by the end of each day and the doctors in the infirmary now knew him by name and had a special spot cleared out just for him.   
      The 2nd through 6th weeks were somewhat better. He had gotten used to most of the obstacles on the course, and once he realized Jason wasn’t exactly aiming to kill he was able to dodge the bullets fairly easy. He got cocky after the end of the 6th weeks last training session and ended up telling Jason that he didn’t see what was so difficult about the course anymore. The smirk that had appeared on Jason’s face after he said that made him regret _ever_ saying anything in the first place.  
      The 7th week had been the hardest out of all of them. Not for the same reasons as the first. He had full control over his speed now and could dodge enemies and obstacles at ease. Jason had even remarked how he had surpassed his cousin Wallys record by the third week, and he hadn’t actually gained full control over it until the fifth. The 7th week was different though. He had to be trained to fight without his powers now, since he never knew when he would not have them anymore. It was also the first time in nearly two months he had set his sights on an inhibitor collar. Jason had looked apologetic as he placed the collar back on Barts neck, despite the younger ones heated protests. He had said it was only temporary, that there was no possibility of him being electrocuted by it and that it was only able to block his super speed. Jason swore he would remove it once the training session was over and that he only had to wear it for a few hours a day. He finally gave in. Memories of burning flesh and drawn out torture sessions haunted his sleep for weeks after that.  
      By the 14th week he had made great progress in fighting both with and without powers. Jason and him would spar regularly, and each day he was becoming more of a challenge to the older male. Keeping in mind just who exactly trained him in the first place, both him _and_ Damian, it was extremely impressive. Damian would sometimes stop by and watch Bart complete his training sessions, and there were moments were he thought he would see the slightest hint of a smile grace his lips as Jason congratulated him on a job well done.   
      Referring to the base as home was easier than he had thought it would be. Each member of the resistance had a room, whether they were in the actual warehouse or in the barracks beneath it, and the members had become his family. Jason was the one he’d become the closest too. He saw the man as a sort of older brother, albeit a completely psychotic and unstable one, but a brother none the less. Wherever Jason was, Bart was usually never far behind, and it became such a common thing to see the two together that people would worry when one wasn’t with the other.  However, while Jason was the closest to the young speedster, he still found himself guarded around him. Betrayal among friends was a common thing now. It was a world where only the strongest survive, and if you couldn’t make it then someone else would make sure you couldn’t bring them down with you. Thoughts like this were what plagued Barts mind as he rummaged through the storage room beneath the base, grabbing whatever could be of use to him in the future. Food was the main priority. As a speedster he needed to eat nearly three times the amount of food that a normal human would consume. He figured that if Jason and the others betrayed him they would try to first starve him out. That was their safest bet, one where there would be little to no confrontation. He figured that if he scavenged enough food from their stock that he’d at least be able to keep his energy up long enough to come up with a plan to escape.  
      “You know, if you were hungry you could have just told me.”  
      Bart froze, his hand still reaching up to the top shelf that contained canned fruit and vegetables. Slowly, he lowered his arm down back to his sides, emerald eyes turning to look at the intruder.  
      Jason stood leaning in the door way, a small frown grazing his features as he raised an eye brow at Bart whose arms were filled with canned food. “Then again it doesn’t look like you had planned on eating all that right now anyway.” His sea-green eyes narrowed in at the young speedster. “Care to explain?”  
      “Jay…” Bart started out weakly as he set the food down on a shelf. “It’s kind of hard to… I don’t know how to explain-”  
              “You don’t trust us.”  
      It was more of a statement than a question, and for the first time ever guilt gnawed at Barts conscience as a hurt look replaced Jason glare. He hung his head in shame, and tears began to well up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. “I’m sorry…”  
      He expected Jason to yell, to go tell Damian and Nathanial of his mistrust and throw him back to the Reach so he can go be a slave again, but it never happened. Jason just sighed and before Bart knew it he was ruffling his brown hair affectionately, a strained smile on his face.   
              “I’m sorry you can’t find it in yourself to trust us.” He mumbled softly. “I know what its like to be betrayed by the very people you thought you could trust.”  
      Bart looked up at Jason, shocked by the confessions, but slowly a small smile appeared on his lips. “I guess old habits die hard. I got used to scavenging for food my entire life, to having to guard what little I had from other starving people just to make it another day that. It’s the only thing I know how to do.”  
      Jason nodded knowingly. “I grew up on the streets, long before the Reach Apocalypse. I know what you gotta do to survive.” With that he picked up the cans Bart had originally placed back on the shelf, heading out the door, only stopping to look back at the young speedster. “Now come on. I gotta see where you’ve been stashing this stuff where Damian hasn’t found it yet. I might have to hide a few of my more… _lethal_ weapons there.”  
      Bart smirked and quickly followed him out. That night he dreamt of family and friends. If only he had known his worst nightmare was soon to follow.  
  
      Bart woke to the smell of smoke and charred flesh. Next thing he knew a hand was roughly shaking his shoulder, and he could faintly hear someone yelling at him to get up. The first thing he see’s when he opens his eyes is the bloodied face of Jason Todd looming over him, shaking him and yelling at him to get up. Before he knows it he’s being pulled up out of his cot by the collar of his shirt and led down the corridor that leads to the underground caverns. Smoke begins to fill his lungs, and its only now as he begins to pick up his pace that he realizes that fire is _everywhere_. His mind is numb and his eyes burn, but he manages to keep up with the older male still gripping his shirt tightly. He stumbles every few steps, and he’s fairly sure that the only reason he hasn’t fallen flat on his face is because Jason isn’t loosening his grip. If anything its just getting tighter and tighter, and soon Barts worried his lack of oxygen will be caused partly because of his friends death grip.  
      “Um Jason?” He manages to choke out in between coughs. “Would you… mind… letting go of my shirt now… please?”   
      If Jason had heard the young speedsters request he didn’t show it, instead picking up his pace as he made a sharp turn as a corner Bart hadn’t even seen. The sound of gunshots and screams followed in their wake.  
      “Come on Damian,” Jason muttered under his breath irritably, sea green eyes darting back and forth as he tried to see through the thick smoke that had become even more prominent since Bart had been forced awake. “Where are you when I need you?”  
      “Waiting for you Todd.” Damians voice cut through the air and for a brief moment Jason found himself thanking whatever higher power there may have been. “You’re late, but I suppose that is to be expected from someone of _your_ caliber.”  
      Jason scowled playfully. “And to think I was almost worried about you.” Damian allowed a small smirk to grace his features.  
      Bart watched as the two began to open a trap door that lead to the underground tunnels, and he shifted anxiously as he tried to keep his breathing even, or at least as even as he could when his lungs were being filled with smoke.   
      “Nathanial is already in the tunnels collecting the blueprints for our little project and burning anything that could give away our intentions to the Reach.”  
      “Is that who's attacking us?” Bart asked quietly as Jason motioned to him to head down in to the tunnel. He did as he was told and waited patiently as Jason and Damian made their way into the tunnel as well before sealing the door back shut.  
      Damian nodded his confirmation. “Someone must have leaked the location of our base. They attacked us from all sides. We never saw it coming.”   
      The trio headed down the various corridors, following the small trail Nathanial must have left so they could fine him. It wasn’t long before they caught up to him at the exit. They were almost free. Bart should have realized that nothing would ever be that easy.   
      Nathanial had already headed up the shaft that led to the surface, a few miles outside of the actual warehouse, and Jason was assisting the weakened speedster up the stairs when they heard the laughter echoing though the hall.  
      “Well, if it isn’t the _meat_ whose been stirring up so much trouble for us and the little runaway. I’ll take pleasure in ending all of you.”  
      Bart flinched as the laughter once more rang through his ears, and he looked back with wide eyes at the very being who has haunted his nightmare for as long as he could remember. “No…”  
      He saw the canon being raised, saw it being aimed straight at him, but he still couldn’t move. It was only as he was being shoved the rest of the way out of the tunnel and Jasons pain filled shout replaced the laughter that Bart regained control over his body.   
      “Jason!”   
      Bart glanced back down into the tunnel just as Damian kneeled down beside his brothers limp body, and suddenly his whole world began to spin.  
      “Bart…”   
      The young speedster glanced back down to the tunnel where he heard his name being called from, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as Jasons eyes cracked open slightly. “Bart… Run… Just run…and… don’t stop… for anything…” He smiled up at him. “Try to… stay outta… trouble…. I’m sorry.”  Jason released his final breath. “I’m so sorry.” His body went limp, and Damian averted his gaze away from his fallen brother. He looked up to where Bart stood motionless, still staring at Jason corpse, and he could see the unshed tears threatening to escape the seemingly emotionless man. “Bart run! Now!”   
      Bart looked one last time at the two who had become the first family he had ever had since his parents and grandma were killed, murmuring a quiet apology for being so weak, before he did what he did best. He ran. He ran until his feet bled, until his limbs gave out to exhaustion and could no longer support his weight. He ran, and he _never_ turned back.           


End file.
